My Seeds Have Come

My seed order came through the post today.  I decided to shop online this year and have dealt with a new company that offer hundreds of different organic (and non-organic) vegetables, so I was like a kid in a candy shop and ordering probably far too much. A few flower seeds made it onto the list, It’s just the  usual giant sunflowers, glorious smelling stocks and sweet peas, but they will fill the gaps nicely with a bit of colour and fragrance.

The luffa seeds were the first ones to inspect after opening the large envelope. They are a member of the gourd family so the seeds are very similar to courgette seeds. They will be the first ones to plant. 

Asparagus

I also have a packet of asparagus seeds, which is also a vegetable I have never grown before. The main reason is that asparagus take quite a while to be productive and because moved around so much I never thought it was a viable option for me as they would be establishing as I moved home.

Asparagus from seed will take even longer to bear the edible stems large enough to eat, but I feel I have a bit more time in this garden that before so I am going to give them a go. Usually they are bought as crowns in much the same way you would but a bare rooted hosta then wait for two years until they crop. I am quite sure it’ll be four years until these mature, but it’ll be worth it as asparagus are one of many vegetables that really command a high price on the supermarket shelves.

Space

As I am pretty limited for space there will only be one variety of broccoli and kale this year. I’m trying a dwarf variety of kale as they will take up less room as I am limited for space. I have just enlarged the growing area in the polytunnel though so I will be able to fit in the hot chilli peppers and Chadwick variety tomatoes. Although the work area is a bit smaller than last year, I have left myself enough room for the sun lounger chair to be fully reclined, for my quieter moments of working in the garden. The plastic cover on the tunnel is opaque enough now for me to recline and snooze blissfully without being seen from outside.

Salad

Other seeds ready to plant out now are the salad variety of lettuce and basil. I’ve also got some annual rocket and will be digging up most of the perennial variety as it’s taking over the tunnel. As attractive as it is as a plant, it doesn’t have the same fresh flavour of the annual type so it has to go. I just haven’t really got the space for ornamentals in the tunnel.

The runner beans, mange tout and peas are new organic varieties for me this year. I have grown these earlier in the season in the past, putting each pea and bean into small module pots. This year I as I am intentionally so late with the planting they will be going straight outside. One of the best spots for these nitrogen fixing plants will be in an area I have emptied a compost bin onto.  I was pretty unceremonious with it; I just tipped the whole thing over and leveled it off like a mulch to make a bed. It won’t win any design awards but it’ll do the trick I’m sure. I did put a few shovels full of compost that was full of worms back into the bin to start the whole process again.

Trays

I have all of the seed trays ready for sowing and will be starting this week hopefully. Initially I do look quite organized with all of the module trays lined up to receive the seeds. On closer inspection though you can see that apart from tipping the compost bin sideways for the dog to have a rummage, I actually haven’t done any preparation work on the beds. Self-set foxgloves, creeping buttercup, couch grass, ivy and a whole array of annuals have all made themselves at home in the soil. I’m not concerned though as a bit of a tickle with my trusty Dutch hoe will soon turn them into compost. 

No Division

I have decided to take the carpet paths that divided the beds up away this year. They were put there to walk on in wet weather, but they just took up valuable growing space. As you might have gathered by now, I don’t really do any work in wet weather anyway so they were a bit of a waste of time. I’ll make small paths as wide as my shoe in between the plants. I can tiptoe around on these this year. I am anticipating such a bumper crop, the plants will be flowing onto the path anyway so I can just harvest the veggies as I go to have a snooze on the camp bed in the sunshine. I can dream can’t I?